3 Things You Need to Know About Sunscreen

Good job putting on your sunscreen every morning! (If you're still skipping that step in your beauty routine, please pause here to reevaluate your life choices.) Using sunscreen is crucial, of course, for looking young and steering clear of skin cancer—but even if you applying the stuff religiously, you might need a refresher, according to new findings in the journal JAMA Dermatology. Researchers from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine surveyed derm patients and found that nearly two thirds of them don't understand how to decode sunscreen labels or how the stuff works. Think your SPF IQ is off the charts? Here are some stats from the study—see how you stack up: · Nearly everyone—93 percent of respondents—didn't know that a sunscreen has to be labeled "broad spectrum" if it's going to protect your complexion from premature aging. · About three fourths didn't know that sunscreen only has to do with preventing sunburn, not skin aging. (UV-B rays cause burning while UV-A rays are responsible for making skin look older.) · Almost half of people were clueless about just how much of the stuff they need to apply. Hint: It's enough to fill a shot glass. Granted, this study surveyed

Good job putting on your sunscreen every morning! (If you're still skipping that step in your beauty routine, please pause here to reevaluate your life choices.) Using sunscreen is crucial, of course, for looking young and steering clear of skin cancer—but even if you applying the stuff religiously, you might need a refresher, according to new findings in the journal JAMA Dermatology.

Researchers from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine surveyed derm patients and found that nearly two thirds of them don't understand how to decode sunscreen labels or how the stuff works. Think your SPF IQ is off the charts? Here are some stats from the study—see how you stack up:

· Nearly everyone—93 percent of respondents—didn't know that a sunscreen has to be labeled "broad spectrum" if it's going to protect your complexion from premature aging.

· About three fourths didn't know that sunscreen only has to do with preventing sunburn, not skin aging. (UV-B rays cause burning while UV-A rays are responsible for making skin look older.)

· Almost half of people were clueless about just how much of the stuff they need to apply. Hint: It's enough to fill a shot glass.

Granted, this study surveyed only a small group of people. But still: Take it as a cue to check out whether your go-to sunscreen is up to snuff. At the very least,